Ann Arbor – Something happened in the spring. It was perhaps earlier, just after the embarrassing loss of the bowl against South Carolina. Was it during the trip to Paris at the end of April? Maybe during exhausting training with the new coach in strength. It could have been during summer training.

Nobody can really pinpoint the exact moment when Michigan players have begun to feel a special chemistry and fraternity, as they describe it, but they are now talking freely about their bond while they remain undefeated in the Big Ten.

Defensive wing Chase Winovich invented the "Tour of Vengeance" – in its most basic translation, this is Michigan's quest to avenge last year's defeats – and his teammates have now embraced the concept . There are even Revenge Tour t-shirts made by Valiant and sold to M Den, and Winovich modeled one after Saturday's match.

Michigan has recorded eight consecutive wins since losing at the start of the season at Notre Dame, including the last three "wins" against ranked teams – Wisconsin, Michigan State and Penn State. The Wolverines, fifth in the standings, beat the Nittany Lions, No. 14, 42-7, on Saturday at Michigan Stadium.

Quarterback Shea Patterson scored three touchdowns, ran one and gave one to Donovan Peoples-Jones and one to Zach Gentry. Offensive back Karan Higdon racked up at least 100 rushing yards for a seventh consecutive game, this time for 132 yards and a score against Penn State. Chris Evans also competed for one point and Brandon Watson had his second-six pick of the season.

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In a fraternity, teammates share the glory and divert individual praise. So maybe it would be too much to say that Patterson, who was transferred from Ole Miss last December, was the missing piece of the Wolverines.

But that would not be exaggerated.

His skill and consistency have been vital to the Wolverines, who have also seen improved play from the offensive line and players in a position of skill to complement Don Brown's outstanding defense that continues to dominate the country.

Patterson was not with the Wolverines when they felt humiliated in a 42-13 loss to Penn State last season, but he took advantage of the recovery wave his teammates have been living intensely in the last two weeks to prepare to face the Nittany Lions. He said it was simple: it's because he's totally immersed in this team.

"I get it from the fraternity we have here," Patterson said after Saturday's game. "We're close to all these guys and I think that's why we're really succeeding now. Just to know that they did that to my brothers, it makes it even more personal.

"We really care about each other, we find each other again. This adds another dimension to your team. It's something you need to keep winning. We will ride the wave. "

Patterson said that he knew immediately that he would acclimate quickly with his new team.

"From the jump, from the first training sessions in the spring to the summer, there are only a few great men left," he said. "Easy to feel welcome here. I really felt a part of it right away.

"A new guy coming in the spring … it surprised me a bit, but I'm just happy to be part of this thing. There are so many great guys and just the great feeling of being part of it.

Patterson helped the offense become more effective. He is ranked 16th in pass effectiveness and the Wolverines are 54th in the country in total offense, averaging 418.4 yards per game. A year ago at the same time, Michigan ranked 86th and averaged 380.6 meters. They are eighth in third place and last year in ninth place.

These figures are arguably the most significant evidence of an improvement in the offensive: Michigan was ranked 106th in attack for the allowed loss and 111th in the number of bags allowed at this stage of the offensive. last season. Now, the Wolverines are ranked 28th in tackles for defeat and 37th in the allowed bag.

Michigan plays Rutgers, who has no win in the Big Ten this weekend, and Indiana (1-5 Big Ten) in the last home game of the regular season before the final leg of the "Revenge Tour" at Ohio State.

There are many reasons, in terms of X and O, for which Michigan has been successful. Relentless defense is an important part of it. The Wolverines brutalized the opposing quarter, although some were injured. The combined two-quarter of Nebraska totaled 93 yards, the Maryland two had 73 yards, MSU played three quarters and 79 yards, and Penn State's Trace McSorley, 83 yards.

Only Clayton Thorson of Northwestern had a good number of passes, completing 16 out of 27 passes, totaling 174 yards, but had six sacks and no touchdowns or interceptions.

"It's not their spirit that's broken," Winovich said after defeating Penn State. "It's our mind that feels unstoppable. That's the feeling I had. We are a more mature veteran group. We know how to get to this level by playing our best.

"We did not just want to beat them, we want to look for them, frustration has accumulated over the past few years because things did not go the way we wanted them to, and when things get out of hand, focus on the present moment.

Higdon, like Patterson, said earlier this year that they had begun to feel the atmosphere created by this team. This allowed them to focus on the present and adhere to the often-used game-by-play approach.

"We have big goals to win the Big Ten and the national championship, but it also starts with winning the week ahead of you," said Higdon. "We are playing for each other.

"It was like that from the beginning. Going through the summer trainings with the guys, you could feel that it was a different group of guys. As Shea said, we care a lot about each other and it's personal that we play for each other and play for each other. We have been doing it since the beginning of the season and that pays for us. "

Winovich explained after the Penn State match that the revenge tour was not taking a break as Michigan geared up for Rutgers and Indiana the next two weeks. The tour, he said, does not just mean beating the teams that beat Michigan last year.

"The revenge tour for me was not necessarily a slogan," Winovich said. "It was me who put a label on a feeling, the attitude that already existed in the team. It was not necessarily, we must beat these teams. The revenge tour is about cruelty, fire, and things that I think were missing in previous years when mixed with legitimate talent.

The players, year after year, are invited to explain the identity of the team. Sometimes it's obvious to the outside world, sometimes not.

Winovich shared his thoughts on the identity of this Michigan team.

"We are an adjective, physical, fast, physical, that you can give to a football player, I would say we identify with most of them," he said. "We are smart, we know our missions and our projects. We are hungry too.

"We are a hungry team. It's easy to be complacent in this game and in life. Sometimes victories can hurt you more than losses. We will just make sure that it helps us and does not hurt us. "

As the team continues, Winovich said that the "changes" basis. Expectations change. He appreciates the fans who train on the bandwagon and says it would be like a "battleship" heading to Columbus for the regular season finale.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh took a critical look at himself and his staff after the bowl defeat last season. The offense had to be repaired. He hired a new forces coach at Ben Herbert, added Ed Warinner to the staff as offensive line coach, Jim McElwain to receiver coaches, and Sherrone Moore to tight points. And, Patterson joined the team.

As the Wolverines prepare for the 10th game of the season, Harbaugh enjoys the concentration of his team.

"Our team is very confident in themselves and their teammates," said Harbaugh. "They are cowardly too. They are just pretty loose and focused. They practice hard and good. Like where our team is at.

"What I see, it's a really focused team, a really confident team.I love what regards our team.They really like it, which proves that they talk to each other." . "

Michigan at Rutgers

Start: 15:30. Saturday, HighPoint.com stadium, Piscataway, N.J.

TV / radio: BTN / 950 AM

Records: Michigan 8-1, 6-0 Big Ten; Rutgers 1-8, 0-6

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Twitter: @chengelis